A Casino Game with a Very Long History

The game of craps has roots going back to the 12th century. It is based on the dice game of Hazard, which experienced decent popularity despite having some very complicated rules. When craps was first introduced, it aimed to offer rules that were easier to understand and follow. This helped promote the game's appeal, and it wasn’t long before it became a choice option in England. From here, the dice game expanded into France and finally made its way to America in the 1800s.

Although the classic craps game available in casinos nowadays has two stages, the primary one has been played in many forms over the centuries. The street version saw a massive explosion in popularity during the Second World War. American soldiers often played craps since it didn’t require much equipment. The only thing needed to play street craps is a pair of dice.

When the war was over, the soldiers came back with their new-found fondness for the dice game and craps quickly became the most popular game in Las Vegas. Nowadays, the game is based on a set of rules and requires a unique betting table.

The name of Craps actually comes from a lousy pronunciation of crabs, which was used in London to describe the combination of two and three from the dice.

Casino Craps and the Players Who Love It

Craps may not be as popular as some of the other table games, but it has plenty of enthusiastic fans who love its exciting gameplay. One of the things that can discourage new players from giving this game a try is the complicated set of rules. The mechanics are not as straightforward as they are in other games. Based on some descriptions, craps can be considered one of the most challenging.

As a result, new casino customers don’t often head directly to the craps table. This is also the case for online casinos, where slots and other table games get most of the attention.

On the other hand, dice games are widely spread, and street craps continue to be a favourite betting option in informal establishments. This means that there are plenty of players who are familiar with the basic mechanics and are more than happy to try their luck at the craps tables.

It is one of the few casino games that use dice instead of cards, and this makes it a bit special. On top of that, the table for craps in a crowded casino is often the most exciting place to be. Players can bet together or against one another, and this makes things very thrilling. Not to mention that you can get in the middle of the action and actually be the one throwing the dice. If this is something that might appeal to you, you should definitely give craps a go.

Learn How to Play Craps the Fast Way

As you can see from the game ratings, craps is not exactly easy to learn. This is because there are two stages to the game and the rules of play can take a bit of effort before they become familiar. However, we have a quick guide to help you understand how everything works before you join a table.

First of all, the craps table presents different betting options from which you can select the ones you want to make by putting chips on the respective locations. The main ones are for Pass and Don’t Pass. There are also various other bets, including predictions for the exact value of the next roll.

After all bets are placed, one of the players at the table is in charge of throwing the two dice. If the value of the roll is 12, 3, or 2, all Pass bets lose. However, if you had a wager on Don’t Pass and the result is a 2 or a 3, you win. If it is a 12, the bet is a push, and you get your money back. Getting 11 or 7 on a first roll is also known as being natural and Pass bets win while all Don’t Pass bets lose.

The remaining outcomes are of 10, 9, 8, 6, 5, and 4. If any of these values is hit, the shooter establishes something known as a point. This outcome changes the stage of the game, and the croupier turns the marker to On. During this part of craps, Pass bets win if the point value is rolled before getting a seven. As usual, Don’t Pass bets follow the opposite rule and bettors stand to win if a seven is rolled before the point value comes up again. Other values do not affect multi-roll wagers, but players can still place bets on other options.

What is essential to understand in classic craps is that the house edge can vary hugely based on the bet made. Players can benefit from some of the lowest percentages in a casino when sticking to Pass and Don’t Pass bets which pay 1:1. These options only give the house an advantage of roughly 1.4%.

However, inexperienced players might be drawn to the promise of high payouts. There are betting options for the next roll to have a total value of 2 or 12. For each of these bets, the payout is normally of 30:1 but the real odds of getting it are 35:1. This results in a house edge of 13.9%, which makes a bet on this outcome a bad decision.

Game-Changing Strategies and Tips for Playing Craps

If we take a closer look at the bets available in craps and the house edge percentages that come with them, we can see that betting on Don’t Pass is the best option. In most variations, the house edge here is of 1.36% while the Pass bet comes with a casino advantage of 1.41%.

There isn’t a sure way to win in craps all the time and get rich overnight. However, there are some strategies that you can use when betting on the most advantageous option mentioned before. The Don’t Pass selection is an even money bet with a low house edge, and this makes it a perfect candidate for several betting models.

One example would be to bet twice as much after losing. This might sound a bit weird at first, but it does have some merit. The concept is that there is an almost 50/50 chance of winning for every round. If you lose and double the bet, you can earn enough in the next round to make a profit.

The best way to visualise this is with an example. You have a bankroll of €100, and you bet €10 on Don’t Pass in classic craps, but you lose. Now, you bet €20, and you lose again. For the third bet, you put €40 on the table, and you win. In total, you spent €70 and won €80, so your bankroll now has €110. Now you can go back to €10 and repeat the process, doubling the stake for every loss.

The problem with this strategy is that a losing streak can result in a bet size too big to afford. In the example used previously, if the €40 bet was a loss, the player could no longer afford to bet €80 on the next round.

Another strategy that is a lot better with streaks is to bet the same percentage of the total amount available. So if we have €100 and decide to bet 10% on every round, we start with a €10 stake. If we lose, we only bet €9. If we lose again, the size of the wager gets smaller even more. The model is also more rewarding for winning streaks since the bet increases along with the bankroll.

Classic Craps - Difficult to Master, Thrilling to Play!

Although craps is harder to learn than other casino games, it is not overly complicated. In fact, players can quickly become familiar with the gameplay from the guide and the expert tips provided. Also, online craps is the perfect way to practice for free. The difficulty level will go down as you play more rounds and learn the ropes. After that, it is all about having fun and craps is for sure an entertaining game with countless fans.

The balance between luck and skill is an important one. The result is determined by throwing dice, so the number of possible outcomes is limited. Some results are more likely than others. For example, seven is the most common result since it can be formed in six ways with two dice. The highlight, however, remains the low house edge for the main two bets. While the overall RTP is lower due to the influence of secondary wagers, players will get an excellent return for Pass and Don’t Pass bets.